The LANTIRN system provides the fighter pilot with a forward looking infrared (FLIR) system, which allows him to fly the aircraft lower and faster than he would otherwise be able to fly. The objective of this research effort was to determine whether this increased capability will significantly improve the fighter's survivability in the night interdiction role. The problem was studied in the context of the threats and terrain found in the central region of West Germany. A model of the terrain features and threat scenario was constructed using the SLAM computer simulation language. The Soviet defensive systems can be moved around as desired, and aircraft can enter the system at a variety of arrival intervals, airspeeds, and altitudes. Defensive systems that are within range of the aircraft will shoot at it, provided they are not tied up with a previous aircraft, blocked by terrain, or prevented from shooting because of a low probability of kill. The capability to fly faster did not significantly increase the fighter's survivability. A decrease in altitude from 1000 feet to 500 feet increased survivability to a minor degree, while a further decrease to 250 feet improved survivability significantly. These findings led to the conclusion that a strong effort should be made to develop a FLIR of high enough resolution to allow the pilot to fly the mission at an altitude of 250 feet or below. (Author)

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